Betting on the WSoP

Less than two weeks until the World Series of Poker main event, and plenty of bookmakers are offering markets on it. If you're a poker fan who is likely to follow the event online, betting on the outcome can bring extra fun and interest - as long as you accept it as that, and don't seriously expect to win anything. If you bet a selection of people for a couple of quid each (because the prices are long enough to be worth it), you've got a good chance of having a horse to cheer for several days. You should bet them to make the final table, not win outright - not least because the final table is delayed until November, so you'd have a boring five-month wait for a result.

If you want to bet a few people to make the final, here are the ones I think are interesting. At the "shorter" prices, Antonio Esfandiari (who is playing brilliantly at the moment, and impressed everyone at the Monte Carlo EPT) is 150-1 with Ladbrokes, and Mike Matusow (who is on form and has already won a bracelet) is 125-1 with BlueSquare. In the middle range you'll find a couple of British heroes: Neil Channing (who had an astonishing rush of results just before Vegas) is 200-1 and JP Kelly (fresh from his first WSOP final) is 250-1, both with BlueSquare. At a long price, a great bet is Sarah Bilney at 400-1, also at BlueSquare. (She is also a good shot for "top female" at Stan James, 33-1.) There are no "likelihoods" in this crazy event, but Bilney is a fantastic player and I will be backing her at those rather disrespectful odds.